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G. W. NEWTON 8v G. TERRY.

BIER. No. 353,373. PatentedNov. 30, 1886.

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UNITED STATESN PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. NEWTON AND GEORGE TERRY, OF HUBBARD, OIIIO.

BIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,373, dated November 30, 1886.

lApplication filed April 3, 1886. Serial No. 197,653. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. NEWTON and GEORGE TERRY, citizens of the United States, residing at Hubbard, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Biers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in biers; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particu larly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional View.

A represents the front axle, which is provided with suitable wheels,B, the rims of which are provided with tires made of felt, rubber, or other analogous material,'so as to deaden the sound.

D represents the rear axle, which is constructed similarly to the front axle, and is also provided with wheels having the rims dead-v cned.

From the upper sides of the axles C and D extend standards E, which are detachable from the aigles,` and are made of metallic bars bent in the required shape, and provided with a central Verticallyextending spindle, F, and a Shoulder or head, G, at the lower end of the said H represents blocks, which are provided on their under sides with depending cylindrical sleeves I, adapted to fit over the spindles G, the said sleeves I being connected to the blocks H by brace-rods K. These blocks are provided on their upper sides with projecting sharpened pins L, to stick into the bottom of the coffin and prevent the same from slipping off the blocks.

M represents a reach, which has its ends'connected to the front and rear axles by means of pins N, which pass through vertical openings made in the bifurcated ends of the reach and through vertical central openings with which the shafts are provided. The reach is made in two sections, M and M2. The section M is made hollow for a suitable distance from its rear end, thereby forming a sleeve to receive the projecting spindle of the section M2, the

said sections M and M2 being telescoped logether.

On the section l\I is secured a spring-actin ated detent or catch, n, the projecting point of which passes through an opening in the section M, and is adapted. to enter either of a series of openings made on the spindle ot the section M2, and thus enables the reach to be lengthened or shortened to adapt the bier for the carriage of a coffin of any size. The axles O and D are each provided on one side with a projectingloop or keeper, O, to which is hinged a tongue, It. These tongues are each made in two sections,R and R2. The sections R,which are attached directly to the keepers, are made hollow to receive the outer sections, R2; and are provided with springA actuated detents or catches T, adapted to engage with either of a series of openings made in the sections R'f,in order to secure the said sections to the sections R at any desired adjustment. To the outer ends of the sections B2 are attached handles r.

The bier may be readily taken to pieces and packed into a very small space for transportas tion or storageby withdrawing the pins which connect the reach to the axle and removing the blocks I-I from the standards.

The coffin is tak en from the hearse and placed on the blocks H, and is prevented from slipping` from the said blocks by the pins thereon, as hereinbefore described, and the pall-bearers take hold of the handles of the tongues attached to the axle and roll the bier up the churchaisle or along a'walk in the cemetery easily and rapidly, and without the necessity of crowding in the narrow aisle of the church, as is unavoidable when the pall-bearers take direct hold of the coffin-handles, as is now the case. While the bier is arranged before the altar, during the funeral services, theouter sections of the tongues are moved inwardly, causing their inner ends to engage withthe loops or keepers on the axles, and thus supporting the tongues in an elevated position, with their handles under the ends of the coiiin and out of the way, and thus preventing the possibility of anybody stumbling or tripping over the tongues, as might result if they were left lying on the iioor.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- Y TOO 1. In a bier, the axles having the supporting-wheels and the tongues pivotcd to the axles and having the extensible outer section, and means for engaging Said section to support the tongues in an upright position, asset forth. 2. In a bier, the combination of the axles,

the standards secured to the axles, and theA blocks H, swiveled to the standards, as set forth. l

3. In a bier, the combination of the axles, the reach having each end pivoted to oneof the axles, the standards secured to the axles; and the blocks H, swiveled to the standards above the centers of the axles, substantially as described.

4L. `In a bier, the blocks H, having`the projecting pins, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

-5. In a bier, the combination of the axles and the extensible tongues connected thereto, Substantially as described.

6. In a bier, the combination of the axles having the loops or keepers and the tongues pivoted thereto, and provided with the extensible outer sections, R2, adapted to be moved inwardly to cause their inner ends to engage between the axles and the loops, to support the tongues in an upright position, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

7. In a bier, the reach, in combination with the axle carrying the Wheels and removable from the reach, the standards extending up from the axles and removable therefrom, and the removable blocks placed in the standards, as set forth.

8. In a bier, the combination, with the axles, ofthe standards extending up therefrom and the blocks swiveled on the standards and removable therefrom, and provided with devices-such as projecting pins-to engage with the coffin, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of tw) witnesses.

GEORGE XV. NEWTON. GEORGE TERRY.

Vitnesses:

JOHN F. MILLER., LORENZO R. VORLEY. 

